Focus
on Reading
The QEP includes three main
objectives to enhance the culture of reading of the WKCTC community.
The objectives and strategies identified by the College to meet
each objective are included below. To view the full text of
the QEP document, click on the "Focus on Reading"
logo.
Objective 1: To provide
professional development training for faculty to better assist
students in enhancing their reading comprehension abilities.
Strategy
1.1: Faculty Learning Circle
Each
year WKCTC will establish Faculty Learning Circles (FLC), a
cohort of 12 - 16 faculty from multiple divisions, to participate
in targeted and intense professional development training with
a reading coach. Cohorts will meet to discuss their classes,
their goals, their teaching styles, and will essentially become
a team of supportive colleagues for each other.
In
the second year of the QEP, a FLC composed of part-time faculty
will be added. The part-time FLC cohort will use a web-site
and discussion board to share ideas. Members of each FLC will
learn strategies that can be employed in their classes to further
enhance their students' reading comprehension skills and develop
reading comprehension activities they can immediately implement
in their classes.
Strategy
1.2: Faculty-wide Professional Development
To
assist all faculty in better understanding the process of reading
and learning, the College will offer campus-wide professional
development activities. These activities will include best practices
sessions on topics such as designing effective library assignments,
evaluating textbooks to best meet students' needs, building
reading activities into class syllabi, and assessing reading
strategies.
Objective
2: To allow faculty, staff, and students to be surrounded by
enhanced reading opportunities and activities to promote reading
and increase reading involvement, both in the classroom and
their everyday lives.
Strategy
2.1: College Reading Group
Because
it is the intent of WKCTC to develop a culture of reading among
all students, faculty, and staff, the College offers a College
Reading Group (CRG), a program which has been adopted by many
communities across the country and described in the American
Library Association's One Book: One Community (2003). The CRG
uses common readings as a basis for discussion and includes
faculty, staff, and students interested in pursing a collegial
discussion of a common topic.
A
new series of books will be identified each spring. During the
following fall and spring semesters, members of the CRG will
meet monthly to discuss the book selections. Faculty are encouraged
to use books adopted by the CRG in their individual courses.
WKCTC
initiated its first CRG in Spring 2006, when 55 employees participated
in monthly discussions ofThe World is Flat by Thomas Friedman.
Class discussion, and reading and writing assignments based
on The World is Flat were incorporated into business, economics,
and developmental writing classes during 2006-2007. Students
in ECO 202 Principles of Macroeconomics reported their perspective
of the world changed after completing a written assignment based
on the book.
Strategy
2.2: Book Readings and Library Activities
To
further enhance the culture of reading and surround faculty,
staff, and students with reading opportunities, the WKCTC Library
hosts book readings by area authors. The Library also hosts
regular events and displays such as book readings and discussions
during Banned Books Week and National Library Week. Display
shelves around campus further promote library activities.
Strategy
2.3: Campus-wide reading activities to increase engagement
As
an additional opportunity to increase the engagement of faculty,
staff, and students in reading, WKCTC hosts a series of contests
each semester such as Edu-race and Edu-cache. In these contests,
participants read and interpret clues and stories to discover
the location of a hidden prize.
In
addition, the WKCTC Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa is sponsoring
a book drive to support the National Family Literacy Project,
which delivers books to Native American Reservations and other
impoverished libraries. The College also offers web-based resources
for Students and Faculty to further the development and practice
of effective reading skills and strategies.
Objective
3: To support literacy among students, faculty, and staff by
enhancing the reading environment and literary assets of WKCTC.
Strategy
3.1: Physical Environment
New
outdoor furniture has been ordered to enhance the physical environment
of the campus. Look for this furniture to be installed in the
fall 2007 semester.
Strategy
3.2: Literary Assets
The
WKCTC library has added popular materials to its collection
and has begun acquiring a children's book collection to allow
faculty, students, and staff the opportunity to read to their
children or have their children read to them.
|
